[JimRau]

Originally Posted by GrthWhytHype

As long as you're not taking off a full length stock to replace it with only a pistol grip than you're fine. You can only put a pistol grip on your shotgun if it came from the manufacturer that way or process it through the ATF. I believe it changes the classification. Now if you're replacing the standard buttstock with say a pistol grip and recoil reducing buttstock you're fine. I don't believe there are any laws regarding front vertical grips. The ATF is a great resource for these questions. I call them all the time to get answers for the specifics. This is actually a question I had to ask them before.

The 18 and 26 apply. You can change the stocks/pistol grips to your hearts content if you stay in the 18-26 numbers.
BUT I can tell you, from my experience on SWAT, the pistol grip are useless from a realistic standpoint. They look cool but they are nearly impossible to shot accurately past about 3 feet, and with heavy loads they will 'sprain' your hand.
It is my experience that a full stock WITH a pistol grip is the best way to go.

[HOSSFLY]

Originally Posted by GrthWhytHype

As long as you're not taking off a full length stock to replace it with only a pistol grip than you're fine. You can only put a pistol grip on your shotgun if it came from the manufacturer that way or process it through the ATF. I believe it changes the classification. Now if you're replacing the standard buttstock with say a pistol grip and recoil reducing buttstock you're fine. I don't believe there are any laws regarding front vertical grips. The ATF is a great resource for these questions. I call them all the time to get answers for the specifics. This is actually a question I had to ask them before.

Wrong^^^^

Originally Posted by JimRau

The 18 and 26 apply. You can change the stocks/pistol grips to your hearts content if you stay in the 18-26 numbers.
BUT I can tell you, from my experience on SWAT, the pistol grip are useless from a realistic standpoint. They look cool but they are nearly impossible to shot accurately past about 3 feet, and with heavy loads they will 'sprain' your hand.
It is my experience that a full stock WITH a pistol grip is the best way to go.

Again- Right on all counts ^^

[hawkguy]

Originally Posted by JimRau

The 18 and 26 apply. You can change the stocks/pistol grips to your hearts content if you stay in the 18-26 numbers.
BUT I can tell you, from my experience on SWAT, the pistol grip are useless from a realistic standpoint. They look cool but they are nearly impossible to shot accurately past about 3 feet, and with heavy loads they will 'sprain' your hand.
It is my experience that a full stock WITH a pistol grip is the best way to go.

full stock with a pistol grip IS the way i'm going. my barrel is 18.5, so o problems there.

i have shot a shotty with only pistol grip, and from my perspective, it is difficult.

i was thinking full stock with pistol grip and a forward vertical grip. from your experience on swat, does this sound useful? (for busting up bottles and clays ), or less likely, self defense.

[Rick1967]

I have a Mossberg 500. It had about a 28 inch barrel. I cut it down to 19. I put a pistol grip only on it. It was over 26 inches by the way. But it was no fun to shoot at all. I now have a full shock with a pistol grip. It works much better.

[GrtWhytHype]

Originally Posted by HOSSFLY

Wrong^^^^

Again- Right on all counts ^^

Sorry but I gotta disagree with you Hoss. Recently shotgun was redefined as a SHOULDER fired weapon. Converting it to something else causes it to be considered an NFA item. So unless it comes from the manufacturer with a p. grip you might be asking for trouble.

From ATF website on the NFA act.

(5) The term "shotgun" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or re- designed and made or remade to use the energy of an explosive to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.

Regardless the OP said he was sticking to a pistol grip with a stock so either way he's ok.

[GrtWhytHype]

Let me also say that I am not a lawyer. We can give you all this advice and our two cents but if the OP does something wrong its on him. So if that were me I'd do my own research.

[HOSSFLY]

Originally Posted by GrthWhytHype

Let me also say that I am not a lawyer. We can give you all this advice and our two cents but if the OP does something wrong its on him. So if that were me I'd do my own research.

Well, we can agree on that-
The quote you posted doesn't really say what YOU said-
Edited to clarify i'm not saying you're just completely wrong-
Just that it didn't say you can't put a pistolgrip on a SG---

[axxe55]

Originally Posted by GrthWhytHype

Sorry but I gotta disagree with you Hoss. Recently shotgun was redefined as a SHOULDER fired weapon. Converting it to something else causes it to be considered an NFA item. So unless it comes from the manufacturer with a p. grip you might be asking for trouble.

From ATF website on the NFA act.

(5) The term "shotgun" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or re- designed and made or remade to use the energy of an explosive to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.

Regardless the OP said he was sticking to a pistol grip with a stock so either way he's ok.

then please explain how Mossberg gets away with selling some versions of the M500 with both types of stocks in the box when you buy it?

[GrtWhytHype]

Originally Posted by axxe55

then please explain how Mossberg gets away with selling some versions of the M500 with both types of stocks in the box when you buy it?

I've never seen them so I can't comment on that. My assumption would be that they sell them as a pistol grip model and include the buttstock in the package because THAT type of conversion is not illegal. Again, all I've stated is converting a buttstock to a pistol grip is illegal under current NFA laws. Don't believe me? Call them yourselves. :-)

[GrtWhytHype]

Also let me clarify, a pistol grip and a pistol grip stock are two different things. This info is based off of the idea of converting a stocked shotgun to a pistol grip. Converting a stock to a pistol grip stock is totally legal.